thoughtcrumbs

Nobel and ignoble

New York Times columnist Paul Krugman on winning the Nobel Prize in Economics today:

For readers of the column, maybe they will read a little more carefully when I’m being economistic, or maybe have a little more tolerance when I’m being boring.

In related news, the annual Ig Nobel prizes for "research that makes people laugh and then think" held its 2008 ceremony last week. The full list of Ig Nobel winners is at their site, with full citations. Selected favorite findings:

• Nutrition: Electronic modification of the sound of potato chips to make them sound fresher.
• Medicine: High-priced placebos are more effective than low-priced placebos.
• Economics: Professional lap dancers make higher tips when ovulating.
• Peace (last year): Airborne chemicals could make enemy soldiers sexually irresistible to each other.